USA: New Belgium Brewing Co. Inc plans bottling, packaging facility

Peter Bouckaert, New Belgium Brewing Co. Inc. brew master, stands in a beer-aging area, where he is developing a new beer for the company. New Belgium is planning a major capital expansion following a 12 percent increase in sales last year, Associated Press released May 25.

By 2007, the brewery expects to put out 700 bottles a minute, an increase from 300 bottles currently. New Belgium Brewing Co., the maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale and other microbrews, said it is planning a $21.5 million capital expansion after a 12 percent increase in sales last year.

The plan includes a new, 55,000-square-foot bottling and packaging facility, said Bryan Simpson, New Belgium spokesman.

New Belgium will spend $11.5 million on the building and the remaining $10 million on new equipment, said Jim Spencer, director of engineering for New Belgium.

"As we continue to grow, the only bottleneck we have for expansion is in our bottling capacity," he said this week.

By May 2007, the microbrewery will put out 700 bottles a minute, up from 300 bottles per minute, Spencer said. The brewery is on track for an estimated 400,000 barrels this year.

With the expansion, the microbrewery could reach up to 800,000 barrels.

No new employees will be needed on the bottling line, but no layoffs are planned, the company said. More than 30 positions have been created in the past couple of years, primarily in sales offices.

New Belgium said it plans to use environmentally conscious construction techniques, including recycled steel components and recycled concrete. A recycling program will funnel some construction waste from the landfill.

The building will have natural lighting, and the the heating-ventilation-cooling system will not use Freon, Spencer said.

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